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THIS is the moment when double Olympic gold medal winner Mark Todd was captured snorting cocaine.

The Sunday Mirror revealed two weeks ago that equestrian hero Todd took cocaine in a hotel room during a gay sex session and boasted of taking cannabis and Ecstasy.

Despite his illegal drug-taking, just 10 days later officials chose 44-year-old Todd to represent New Zealand at the Sydney Olympics later this year.

Last week's astonishing decision was taken without one official asking to see our evidence. And two of the four farmers who select the three-day eventing team said even if they were sure that Todd had snorted cocaine he would STILL be their choice to go to Sydney.

Joan McCall, a selector for Eventing New Zealand, who picked the team, said: "If he did take it, it was probably a one-off thing. I don't give a hoot." Before he could be considered to ride for New Zealand, Todd had signed a sworn statement, presented to all Olympic hopefuls, declaring he did not use illegal drugs.

It reads: "I agree not to use, attempt to use, have in my possession, attempt to have in my possession, traffic or attempt to traffic a prohibited substance."

Jim Wright, chairman of the selectors and a close friend of Todd, phoned the horseman last week at his home in Gloucestershire but did not ask him about his drug use. Another selector, Arthur Grenside, said he voted for Todd because he had never failed a drugs test. …